Figments of Our Future
by psychoanalyst
Summary: The five immensely talented musicians of Seiso Academy envision the life with Hino Kahoko after marriage when they see Hino interact with children. All pairings/Kahoko.
1. Chapter 1

**First Impressions**

by psychoanalyst

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction that belongs to Yuki Kure, so don't sue me. But personally, I would like to sue the company for releasing such slow manga updates, I've waited two weeks, by dear heavens, please update already. As if the anime waiting period wasn't dreadful enough, you're making us, loyal fans of yours, sweat in angst of Tsukimori's departure, Tsuchiura's confession, Kaji's overblown affections, Hihara's pain, Kiriya's inaction, and Yunoki's indecision. I honestly beseech them, release some new chapters already.

-

"Hino!"

The girl with dangling fiery red locks turned to the direction of the voice. She smiled, "_Ohayo_, Tsuchiura-kun."

The morning light showered on her, her sparkling orbs stared up at him with unhidden sincerity. Regardless of how many times he has braced himself for these moments of ogling at her beauty, he was powerless in the end. Hino Kahoko noticed Tsuchiura's lack of response and looked up to meet his long stare. Her cheeks colored, "Tsuchiura-kun?"

The sound of her voice brought him out of his enchantment. He fumbled over his words, "_Uh_, _um_-sorry, yeah. I spaced out."

"Oh that's fine," Hino's eyes squinted in bewilderment, "why did you call out my name?"

"The children's orphanage volunteer event, are you going?"

"_Ahh!_" Hino cried, immediately gathering her materials, "I'm supposed to meet with Amou-san thirty minutes ago. She's going to be so angry!"

She picked her bag but as it left the table, a flurry of notebooks, pencils, and erasers fell from her bag. She let out another yell of panic. She quickly gathered her stuff before Tsuchiura had a chance to help her. She bolted through the door as she was done, completely forgetting Tsuchiura's presence. He looked on in amusement. _Her clumsiness always made her adorable_. He smiled at the thought and followed her out.

Hino darted out and crossed the school's quad area. As she arranged the materials in her bag, she collided head-on into someone's chest, hard. Hino was hit with recoil and knocked out. She braced for the impact but she felt nothing. She opened her eyes, Tsukimori Len's sapphire orbs stared back at her. Bubbles welled up in the pit of her stomach. Tsukimori immediately released her, color filled both of their cheeks.

"Watch where you're going next time," Len reprimanded with an undertone of concern.

"_Gomenasai_, Tsukimori-kun. I was in rush," she bowed her head repeatedly in contrition.

"Where are you going?" he asked, feigning an indifferent glance.

"Oh, there's a volunteer event at the children's orphanage today." The clock chimed, signaling 4:00 P.M. "Ahh! I have to go, bye Tsukimori-kun!" she waved to him as she rushed off.

[I was going to suggest that we go together…since I'm also teaching the children music anyway.] he sighed with disappointment.

As Hino rushed out the entrance of the Seiso Academy, a sleek black BMW rolled up in front of her. The passenger window glided downwards, Yunoki Azuma's face greeted her view.

"Yunoki-senpai!" she announced with a rush of panic, surprised by his presence.

"Hino-san," Yunoki said with a cheerful calm, "Why are you rushing so?"

"Uhm," Hino began hesitantly, she scratched the side of her head in a distracted manner, "I'm somewhat late to children's orphanage event I promised to volunteer with Amou-san."

"What a coincidence," Yunoki smiled, "I'm also en route to the same destination, perhaps, would you like a ride?"

Hino half-smiled uneasily, apprehensive of his intentions. "I sh-shouldn't bother you, Yunoki-senpai. I'll walk, actually, I'll run. Ja ne!"

As she tried to run off, his hand yanked her inside his vehicle. A few seconds after she was forcibly held prisoner inside Azuma Yunoki's car, he leaned closer to her eyes, softly whispering, "I wouldn't be a gentleman if I allowed a frail object like you walking by herself, would I?" His breathing trickled down the side of her neck, she flinched nervously. Her cheeks visibly reddened at his close proximity. Her reactions amused Yunoki, he let out a satisfied chuckle. He scooted away a considerable distance from her, finished with his task.

Hino released his sigh of relief at his distance, but the air of discomfort did not disappear. She would often glance his way and he would return it with a slight vindictive and flirtatious expression. After a grueling six minutes, they've finally arrived. [Finally!] Hino bolted out the car door as soon as she thanked Yunoki for the ride.

She drank in the sweet un-Yunoki air as she walked in a dazed manner towards the orphanage. Closing her eyes, she enjoyed the fresh breeze that tickled her cheeks. Once again, she collided into a hard object. It grasped her shoulders in a muscular hold, steadying her. Hino opened her eyes and stared into Hihara Kazuki's golden orbs.

His hold remained locked her sides, as if unwilling to let her go. She was suddenly reminded of the incident of the first time the concours participants attended camp. His intense stare made her uncomfortable, Hino looked sideways, and Hihara's senses came back. His hands released her, "Uhm, gomen, Kaho-chan! I forgot I was still holding you." Realizing his use of words, he rephrased clumsily, "I mean, that is—I didn't mean to hold-hold you, just steady you so you wouldn't fall. I mean-uh, only to prevent you from falling! Gomen!"

He muttered another incoherent apology and dashed off, his face an undeniable redder shade of crimson than Hino's.

Hino winced, she laid her hand upon her chest, calming her palpitating heart. [My heart is too weak for this type of interaction, already it's beat this fast four times in one day.]

As she approached the gates of the orphanage, she saw Kaji Aoi's lean figure. He was handsomely resting on the gates, carrying his viola case in one hand and checking his watch in the other. His blonde hair shone under the evening sun. He looked up, his emerald gaze intensified tenfold, his face beautiful.

Kaji repeatedly checked the face of his watch, his anxiety increasing by the seconds. [She should be here by now. Did something happen to her?] His expression was a mix of worry and impatience. He glanced at his watch again, 4:10 P.M. Forty minutes after her supposedly appointed time with Amou-san. [Where could she be—…] His thought ended halfway as he spotted her figure on the orphange's pathway. He rushed over to her.

"Hino-san!" Kaji shouted, he jogged over to her, his tall stature loomed over her small shadow. "I was worried you might not come." His faced was lined with concern.

"Gomen, for making you worry." Once again, she scratched the side of her head. Kaji found this gesture adorable, he grinned. "I was doing some music theory and almost forgot about the volunteer. Tsuchiura-kun reminded me."

[Tsuchiura-kun was with Hino?] Kaji's eyes unnoticeably darkened. "Well since you're here, let's go inside."

"Kaji-kun, were you waiting me?" Hino queried.

"I arrived early but Amou-san said that you were late so I offered to wait for you. When you didn't come, I was concerned."

She hid her grimace; she was touched but also astonished by his apparent affections for her. "Thank you for waiting for me, Kaji-kun."

"I will wait forever for you, Hino-san." With that, Hino rushed in before he was able to take her hand and Kaji darted after her.

Five pair of eyes witnessed the entire altercation. One lilac-haired gentleman sent daggers at Kaji's fading back. A cerulean-haired student glanced at Kaji with annoyance. A jade-haircolored athlete clenched his fists while the other olive-haircolored musician stared sadly at his rival. One burgundy-haired shadow, hidden among the tresses of wisteria, smirked with vindication.

-

There will be about six chapters so chill people. It's not end yet. [ smirks evilly ]


	2. Chapter 2

**Purple Thoughts**

by psychoanalyst

A/N: I'm terribly sorry for the late update, a thousand apologies. :( I told myself that I would finish this off before summer ended. I'm very thrilled to see that some of you had me on story alert. Thank you so much for doing that, I'm so sorry for taking so long to update. I honestly didn't think I would finish this story but since I'm not quite a statistics person, I often write the chapters in my classes.

-

As Yunoki Azuma glared viciously at a blonde figure's retreating back, his chauffeur commented, "Sir, speaking completely from an objective point of view, if you have sincere affections for Ms. Hino, why don't you direct efforts in pursuing her rather than terrifying her?"

"There are further implications than you might think," he stated as his face regained his elegant features.

"Pardon me for my impertinence, but I believe if you'd rather prefer not snatch her up now, Kaji-kun might just complete the task for you."

"His presence is mere a twig in my path," Yunoki responded nonchalantly, while his eyes twitched nervously.

"He resembles more of a large branch, I believe, sir," Kisaka replied, "I'd be on my toes if I were you."

"I believe you should start doing your job," Yunoki retorted, an undertone of annoyance in his voice.

"Sir? We're already at our destination."

Yunoki noticed his surroundings, he swallowed his embarrassment. "Pick me up at seven." Yunoki stepped out of the car and strode towards the orphanage. He made sure to crush a tiny twig that blocked his path. The sound of faded laughter reached his ears. Involuntarily, his legs led him onto a different path. He arrived shortly at a playground. He scanned the area but his sight fell on a fiery hair-colored female by the swings.

She had the face of an angel, her cheery laughter, her smiling eyes. She fascinates him with the mere aspect of her awkward behavior. How she squirms when he's near, how her cheeks redden when he's closer, how she submissively bows her head when he stares at her, and how she slightly pouts when he lifts her chin.

His expression softened as she playfully pushed the little boy on the swing. He had a ridiculous thought, one most unlike his character, _would our child be as happy as that little boy?_

-

"_Otou-san!" shouted a little boy with burgundy hair. His hair was tousled and his face alight with happiness. _

"_Sosuke!" a red-haired lass followed after him. Her run came to a tumble and she fell. _

_The man with lilac locks welcomed the gallivanting child with open arms. He gave him a brief kiss on the forehead and set him into the arms of the sitter. He strode towards his fallen wife to help her in her predicament. _

_She was dusting the grass leaves off her dress, when a shadow loomed over her. _

"_Sosuke, don't run, you might fall and—" she stood up, paused in mid-speech. Yunoki's eyes stared intently at her. His hand caressed her chin. _

"_Kahoko, have you missed me?" Yunoki's dulcet voice radiated though her ear. She smiled at his return. _

"_Hai," she murmured shyly. _

"_Now, now you're going to deny me by not calling my name?" Yunoki feigned hurt._

"_I've missed you, anata," Kahoko grinned cheekily. She reached over to give him a peck on the cheek," he turned his head to meet her lips. Sweet and achingly gentle was the definition of his touch. Her cheeks reddened instantly. He held onto her rosy cheek and she rested a tentative hand on his chest. When they released, he reveled in the soft heaving of her bosom. _

"_I've missed you, my love." _

_-_

Yunoki felt a tugging at his side. A little boy with lavender hair gazed innocently up at him. "Mister, can you push me on the swing?"

Yunoki averted his gaze to where Hino was. He stared back down to the boy, "Of course."

He situated the little boy on the swing and slowly carried the swing backwards. When the swing soared, the little boy let out a yelp of happiness. He neared Kahoko's ear when the boy's swing gained momentum. "Isn't he the perfect example of the kind of child we'll have?"

-

Anata = dear

[cheeky grin] Hope you enjoy THIS chapter. FIVE MORE TO GO!


	3. Chapter 3

Burgundy Curiosity

N/A: There's really no excuse for me to stop updates for this long. I just get writer's block often? I'm sorry. I'm really touched for all the story alerts and story favorites you guys have given me. Thank you so much. Here is another attempt of worthwhile post.

-

A violet-red haired male laid horizontally on a park bench. His eyes were closed in blissful slumber, his right leg bent and his other lain in a relaxed posture. His violin case was perched gingerly against the legs of the bench. A gentle breezed gushed by, the scent of withered leaves filled the autumn air. The violinist remained contentedly asleep. The trees sang the melody of nature; the laughter of the playground, the industrial sounds of transportation, and the crackling hymns of the fallen leaves created a symphony of sorts.

However, the beautiful scenery seemed to be in contrast of the depths in the mind of the sleeping figure. Within the confines of his mind, there lurked a foreboding dream.

_A lilac-haired figure steadied his balance by placing his arm against the school building's wall. He stared down at a redhead, who returned his gaze with trepidation. Her cheeks were deep rouge. Her hands were clenched at her sides. She bit her lips. He leaned down, precariously close to her mouth. Using his free hand, he leveled her chin to his. His lips slowly neared hers…_

_A shadow hiding behind the trunk of a tree shot daggers at the lavender-haired male. If only his hair had been longer, he'd been able to choke the purple-haired Casanova with his own mane. How dare he touch his woman! He cracked his knuckles and hit the innocent tree, the impact sent leaves falling. With one last glare, he left the unsightly scene. _

A noticeable scowl erupted on the sleeping figure's features. He opened his eyes abruptly and sat upright, startled. _It was only a dream._

There still remained a deep loathing in his mind for a certain purple-haired Casanova. But a more puzzling realization took place. Why did he put effort in hating someone? A bigger blow was that…_why do I even care if those two are together? Did I like her?_

He mused on this ridiculous notion that he harbored feelings for the mediocre violinist. The faint sounds of laughing children reached his ear. He turned his head. The very object of his dreams stood a hundred feet away, playing ring-around-the-rosies. He stared at her, transfixed. A vibrant aura seemed to envelope her. Surrounded by six-year-olds, she, herself, looked like a little kid. Her appearance triggered that memory he once shared with her. Her adorable expression when she was faced with the crying twins. The honest melody she played to placate them. His expression soured as he remembered his harsh words to her. _The truth is…I wish I was able to always hear you play._

A sweet smile snaked their way to his lips as he recalled the way they looked like a couple when they were walking with the little twins.

-

_"Akira! Mio!" Kahoko yelled out, an undertone of panic in her voice. "Where could they have gone?" _

"_What kind of clumsy person are you?" Etou Kiriya reprimanded, "Who loses sight of their kids?"_

"_You're such a bully!" Kahoko pouted, "I'm trying my best to find them." Her eyes were downcast and she bit her lips worriedly. _

_Kiriya rolled his eyes and released a deep sigh. He took her hand in his and grasped them. "Let's go for them on the other side of the park." Kahoko smiled hopefully and nodded. Hand in hand, they strolled to the other side of the park. The longer they walked, the worrier she got. Kiriya saw the expression on her face and tightened his grasp on her hands. Suddenly, the sight of giant stuffed bear passing out balloons triggered an idea. He turned to Kahoko. "Kaho, wait here for me." _

_He ran into the center of quad and whipped out his violin. Resting the violin comfortably between his chin and shoulders, he played the first note. _

_His sound was as resonating as the first time he played to her. Ave Maria…her favorite tune. The melody was enchanting; a sound that doesn't simply call out, but slowly beckons. As if in a spell, her feet automatically took her to the center of the quad. Kahoko closed her eyes, gently swaying to the music. Her mind returned to the first time he played for her. His music was so enticing, so fantastic. It blew her breath away just as he is doing now. _

_He reached the last bar, but a sudden voice interrupted his ending. "Otou-san! Okaa-san!"_

_Kahoko and Kiriya whipped their heads to the voices. "Otou-san! Okaa-san!" The pair of twins chimed in unison. A wave of relief washed over Kahoko and she ran to hug her dear children eagerly. Kiriya smiled at his beautiful wife and children. _

-

Kiriya hadn't realized that he was smiling through the whole ordeal. So entranced in his daydream that he hadn't notice a kid stood in front of him the whole time. The kid with magenta hair looked at him with a curious expression.

"What are you looking at, kid?" Kiriya said coolly.

The kid grinned, "Mister, do you play the violin?"—pointing to the violin case besides the bench.

Kiriya chuckled, "Yeah, I do. What do you want?"

The little boy's face lit up, "That's so cool, can you play it for us over there?"—now pointing to the area where Kahoko was playing with the children.

Kiriya smirked, "Sure."

"Yay!" the little boy cheered, "Can I hold your violin, mister?!"

He stared at the little boy, amused. "Don't drop it."

Back to the grass area where Kahoko was telling the kids a story, she noticed there was one kid missing. "Everyone, where's Akira?"

"I'm here!" Akira skipped towards Kahoko with the violin case bouncing in his arms. Kahoko looked surprised, where did he find the violin?

"Akira, whose violin is this?" Kahoko queried.

"Mine."

Kahoko stared up into the scarlet orbs of Kiriya Etou. "Etou-kun?"

"You seem to be following me wherever I go, are you stalking me?" Kiriya replied.

"No! It's just this park is near the orphanage so I took the kids here." She defended weakly. Again, she pouted adorably.

"Well, I have to fulfill the wish of one little boy." He grabbed his violin from his case and tuned the strings. Before he played, he made a last remark. "Maybe this time, you'll tell me who's the better violinist, him or me."

-

Two hours for this chapter, I hope you readers enjoyed it. All those silent readers, shame on you.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: It amazes me that even now I am still getting author/story alerts. I'm not a great writer and I write these stories b/c it makes me happy. It reminds me of when I was little and I enjoyed doing stuff like this. Having you guys like my story makes me all the happier. Therefore, despite how much I kind of not care about La Corda d'Oro much anymore, I will try to finish this story. Here it goes, please don't flame as harsh. I know it's short.

**Emerald Realization**

Still reeling from the scene at the entrance of the orphanage, Tsuchiura played the wrong note on the piano, snapping him out of his reverie. His hand hovered above the piano keys.

"Mister?" a small voice called out.

He stared at the small child besides him and had a befuddled expression.

"Is something wrong?" A pair of doeful eyes stared up at him, shining with innocence.

"No, why would there be?" He shook his head.

The child's eye looked wide as ever, "You played three wrong notes."

Now Tsuchiura felt foolish, being corrected by a mere toddler. When that new student, Kaji, entered the school, he initially brushed him off as a typical 'Tsukimori'-type. But since he blatantly kissed Hino's hand in front of class, he smelled trouble. Avoiding the bewildered stare of the child, Tsuchiura lifted his head. Beyond the window under the shade of the lush trees, she stood. The speckled sunlight bathed her fiery mane in glimmer, like ivory pearls. The sun kissed her honey-sweet skin. Her beauty further accentuated by the curvature of her profile and soft smile.

She was adjusting the violin for the child. His thoughts began to wander. _Would she do the same for her child?_

_A resounding melody filled the spacious room, like a thread of gold that ran through the finest of silk. Hino closed her eyes, reveling in the calming tune. It was one of her favorite pieces. Chopin. After hearing Tsuchiura-kun play Chopin for first time at the music shop, Chopin easily became one of her favorite composers. Sadly, he was not one to compose violin pieces. Tsuchiura-kun's sound touched her heart. Its beauty resonated through such simple notes. When the song finally came to an end, there was a weak clap of a single spectator. Lowering her instrument, she let out a grateful smile. Hino gazed into the amber eyes of her adorable son. _

"_Mommy, you play so well!" Ryo was beaming, clapping his hands repeatedly._

"_Thank you, Ryo."_

"_Mommy! Mommy! Now play the piano!" Ryo demanded. _

_Hino suddenly looked flustered, "Uh, honey, I don't play the piano that well."_

_The child's expression crest-fallen, "I want to hear the piano though."_

_Hino, overcome with the need to please her child, spoke feebly, "Well, I mean, I know how to play one song."_

_Ryo's face lit up into a sunny smile. As Hino guided Ryo to the bench, she had an uneasy grimace. Her hands hovered above the keys. She slowly made the first notes without difficulty but it seemed like every key she played afterwards were wrong, making the piece sound like a broken tune. However, a pair of hands came about and covered her own. At his touch, the tips of her fingers tingled. Sinews lined with muscles, the size of his hands ellipsed her own. His hands led hers smoothly across the keys. Her lips curved involuntarily into a smile. _

"_Relax your fingers." _

_His deep voice seemed to penetrate her own heart, his breath tickled her ears. In the corner of her eye, she gazed at his profile. She marveled at his handsomeness, unaware that the music stopped. His face turned towards her. She was immediately floored by the golden hues of his eyes, fathoms deep and soulfully rich. His face came closer and his lips adorned a kiss at the corner of her lips. Her cheeks flamed and she looked away. Ryo has a mischievous grin. _

"_What are you smiling for?"_

"_Daddy and mommy play well together." Hino had her mouth agape at the audacity of the boy while Tsuchiura rubbed his son's head. _

"_Come on, I'll teach you the song, son." She gazed up at Tsuchiura, they shared a mutual smile. _

"Tsuchiura-kun!" He lifted his head at the sound of his name. "Can the kids come in and learn how to play too?"

"Of course!" he motioned them to come over. He felt a tug at his side, "Mister, who's that lady?"

His eyes moved from the boy to Kahoko, "Someone very special."

I WILL TRY to make the future chapters longer, but it's really hard. This entire page took over a night to write. I apologize for the grammar. I know it's atrocious.

9.15.11


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